


Angel's Wing and Devil's Horn

by Xandad



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Minor Violence, Touhou PC-98 Era, poor sagume forced to do the heavy lifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:01:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29898729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xandad/pseuds/Xandad
Summary: After the disaster that conspired under the whims of a wrathful, sagacious spirit, the prior savior of the day, Sagume Kishin, is once again tasked with a hefty workload. This time, patrol duty.
Kudos: 1





	Angel's Wing and Devil's Horn

The disastrous situation brought unto the Lunar Capital by the whims of a vengeful, sagacious spirit, had left a shaking mark on the perceived near-Heaven. A dwelling where many who pride themselves on their purity had it called into question, the typically harmless fairies roaming rampant striking fear into the Lunarians’ hearts. Though, there was a saving grace in the name of not one of their proficient princesses, but their divine mutt.

The Lunar Capital is home to many characters, ranging from immortals to those in complete harmony with their gods, but none as peculiar as the resident mix-breed, Sagume Kishin. If it weren’t for her cunning, the whims of Junko and her devious accomplices would have resulted in a major catastrophe. Sure, it came with some caveats, but when dealing with such a character as Junko, you won’t get off scot-free. But, a tainted view from Gensokyo’s residents is far more favorable than the alternative.

However, that’s not to mean that after the incident had subsided that there was immediate peace and relief. Oh no, they know Junko will be back once again to wreak havoc on the capital to seize her nemesis. So, some investigation has been conducted and is underway, the Watatsuki royal sisters covering some of the more nuanced issues. A task was laid upon Sagume, to investigate what is admittedly more worrying than having an angry spirit on your hands.

What’s truly concerning is the fact that the supreme Goddess of Hell, Hecatia Lapislazuli, is now a threat to be wary of. Though there’s an unspoken agreement to not cause universally cataclysmic event, having someone that powerful on your bad side is less than optimal. When factoring Hecatia’s absurd strength, if she felt more destructive than usual, there’s nothing that even the mighty combined forces of Toyohime and Yorihime could do. Truly an ugly situation all around.

As it stands, there is no plan ready if Hecatia meddles on behalf of her furious friend again, but rather a plan to get that plan. The Moon’s celestial body has its own Hell, of which could be home to some vital information for keeping the peace at the Lunar Capital. Sagume was put in charge of surveilling it, both because she’d be able to clear herself of any scuffs and that she’s one of the few capable who knows the route. There is the issue of how impure Hell inherently is and the vision that Sagume could get unreasonably “tainted” by it, but she is more than willing to take on the deed. After all, she’s got amanojaku blood in her veins, add impurity to grocery basket of things to hate her for, she supposes.

The route to the Moon’s Hell is as secretive as one would infer. On the rear end of the Moon from the Lunar Capital, sat at the maximum possible distance from the Moon Palace, lies the entrance. It must be encountered when the Sun has risen at the apex at that Capital, leaving very little room to gaze upon it. Even so, it’s in a perpetual darkness and near impregnable cold, another reason for why Sagume was deemed responsible for this operation. She can take it and if push comes to shove, she can speak that a chill _won’t_ come into existence.

The time is perfectly nigh, Sagume’s eyes peered upon her destination. The entrance doesn’t make itself known just yet, though, as typically there’s a more proficient route to take. Usually some manner of seal needs to be broken, but since the situation’s so strict, she doesn’t frankly care for the proper route through. Normally she’s way more cautious of her abilities, but she knows the consequence for using it now is far too little to get twisted over.

“Leave me alone, I want nothing to do with you,” Sagume states, putting her hand over her mouth after the words have left it. Any second now, she thinks.

The Hell of the Moon’s gate would reveal itself an old guardian. A giant bronze plate with the sculpted visage of a woman on it, an old Lunarian Queen that nary a few recall the name of. The effigy itself is referred to as Kikuri, and if Sagume recalls correctly, it’s got quite a defense system. Before she can consciously register much of the overcomplicated manhole cover, its eyes fluoresce and it's engulfed in a purple flame. A wave of erratic white danmaku are thrown her way, lighting up the dark end of the Moon in blinding fashion.

Considering the age of this thing, these aren’t standard fare bullets made to merely blister. No, the danger of total annihilation is present with Kikuri, for it was conceived far before spell cards were even a thought. Sagume’s quite aware of this and was on high alert before this decrepit thing even showed its face.

Dodging the flurry itself is quite simple, those low-risk bouts with the heroines in the Dream World having touched up her skills. She dances around the celestial void, managing to steer better with her one, short wing than those with advanced aeronautic machinery. Getting out of the way is one thing, actually closing the distance is another. Sagume can zip through the vacuum of space all she wants, but it’ll prove fruitless if she can’t take a gambit on approaching. 

After a few minutes of whizzing through the air and coming out unharmed, Sagume peers through an opening in the radiant bullets being launched ad infinitum from Kikuri. In a somewhat avian fashion, Sagume flips herself upside-down and divebombs at an incredible speed. It’s not a perfect opening, as she gets scuffed along the way, but it’s nothing she can’t handle and the best shot she's got. Once within arm’s reach of Kikuri, she places her hand upon the bronze woman's forehead, the eyes immediately ceasing their glow.

This thing has somewhat of a program running, where if you touch your hand to it, you have just a few seconds to utter a password to be granted access to the Moon’s Hell. Get it wrong, however, and you’re faced with a barrage that’ll char and mangle your body beyond recognition.

Sagume doesn’t know of one, no one does. The architects of Kikuri are long dead, but fortunately for the Lunar Capital, Sagume’s a divine, master bullshitter.

“Grant me an exit, for I am trapped within the entrance,” Sagume says, clawing her hand on her face. She knows this should work, but the nerves rattling through her veins scream otherwise. Each second Kikuri buffers feels like a knife plunging through her chest. 

The time passes, and the eyes of Kikuri keep dim. The gatekeeper to Hell chuckles in a metallic, deep woman’s tone, Sagume assuming it an imitation. It then moves aside, sliding into a divot of the moon’s soil, revealing what’s within.

Sagume isn’t immediately greeted with an inferno of judgement or searing heat emanating from the entryway. Rather, Sagume’s eyes are met with a dimly lit staircase adorned with crimson lanterns. It’s the most blatant sign of danger conceivable that she, sadly, must take. She’s not to return to the Capital without results.

Sagume, against her intuition to ditch and make up some nonsense, descends the stairwell, only met with the sounds of her own footsteps and the ominous scarlet lighting. She would also have to admit, despite having to be the levelheaded Lunarian mind at times, there’s a sense of ignorant curiosity in her mind. Like, she’s been granted entrance to somewhere maybe no one she knows has bothered trekking before, how can one not grow at least somewhat inquisitive? 

The more she enraptures herself with the dank environment of the stairwell, the more Sagume picks up on oddities surrounding it. The lighting and shadows don’t mix like normal, light not encapsulating a nice sphere around the lamps. Rather, the longer she steps down, the more that there are red and black wisps in front of her face, trailing like airborne streamers. She attempts to grab one or even feel it, but to no avail. Though, her fingers would feel a draft as she reached her hand up, bizarre considering that this is an abandoned catacomb in what’s essentially the Moon’s armpit.

Her questions would be sated quite soon, as the lonely steps would lead to a great hall, not dissimilar to other castles she’s witnessed. It is adorned with old, run down gray columns, of which also foster lanterns like the stairs. In the far distance, she can spot a vibrant, orange light, guessing that the flames of Hell must lie further. Yet, there’s something amiss here. 

The wisps from the stairwell only increase in concentration here, making it almost hard to see amongst the obstruction. Such a place is, unfitting of Hecatia, she thinks, there being much more to it than what she’s witnessing. Sagume takes a single step forward before nearly being blown into the wall by a harsh gust.

A conglomerate of black and red mist combines within the center of the hall, not caring what or who is in its way. As it occurs, Sagume clings to the sturdiest column her eyes can judge in this cloud of chaos, peering at the core of this strange circumstance. The same anxiety from earlier presents itself to her mind, the normally steeled divine spirit feeling weak amongst the mayhem.

Eventually, the dubious rush of seemingly metaphysical objects come to a halt. Before Sagume can comprehend what’s in front of her, she’s met with a voice. One far less metallic and far sterner than that of Kikuri’s.

“State your business,” the voice states in a booming, imposing tone. Sagume can decipher that it’s a woman’s, but this certainly isn’t belonging to Hecatia. 

When Sagume gathers her bearings, she detaches from the column, taking her titular stance with her feet far apart and hand over her mouth. Being asked to do such out the gate is troublesome. Having to prance around certain phrases while around what could potentially be a hostile entity, fantastic.

Sagume gets a better look at what she’s faced with, being taken by surprise by this individual’s appearance. a massive woman adorned in beaten red robes; purple hair tied into a messy high ponytail. What’s more damning are the two, pointy bits, a large red horn pointing upward from her forehead and what is most certainly a sword being pointed right at Sagume’s head. The red and black mist surrounds this figure, indicative of, quite a lot. But, Sagume figures she should find out a bit more first before jumping to conclusions.

“I am concerned with this place,” she states, knowing that just saying the one word so neutrally won’t do much. She can’t exactly speak with confidence, her tone meek compared to the hulking woman in front of her. 

“Your name?” the woman asks, furrowing her brow and baring fangs on one side of her mouth. 

“Sagume Kishin,” she responds, feeling as if she’s been subject to a quiz demonstration, “now yours.” Issuing a demand as simple as asking this woman her name feels daunting, like it’ll get her head lopped off by that imposing blade.

“My name, you say,” she responds, swiftly retreating her sword into its sheath at her side. It gets Sagume to notice that, she’s only witnessing the mass of this woman down to her hips. No legs in sight, obscured by the patterned fog. It's more likely that they're just not present at all.

“Konngara, no one has asked of me it in a long time,” she continues, “I would even wager I cannot remember who last bothered.” She’d take a dish from her hand, bringing it to her lips and taking a sip. If that’s what Sagume hypothesizes it is, she’s just about got the pieces put together about this character.

“How long ago was it since someone last trespassed in here?” Sagume asks, tapping her fingers along her cheek. This should wrap up any suspicions, she feels.

“Thousands of years, when a Hell was established on the Moon when that exodus from Earth began,” Konngara says, taking another swig of her dish. “You know more than you’re showing, Lunarian, why do you continue to prod?”

“An event occurred with your goddess that affected us in the Capital,” Sagume says, knowing that uttering the past shan’t alter its course. “What do you know of this, oni?” Sagume’s hand tightens its grip on her face, squinting with fervor at Konngara.

If there is a Hell, there are oni that are conscripted to manage it. Though, in the Capital there are no oni trawling around like they are in Gensokyo, they’re still present. The issue is, since Lunarians are virtuous and sin free, the oni in Moon’s Hell were thought to be nonexistent or even extinct. It doesn’t help that Lunarians don’t die easy, oni assassination attempts not worth the hassle. Yet, being more in tune with the history of the Moon, Sagume knew the notion of oni extinction was preposterous. Perhaps, even, Hecatia would have planned to bring upon the fierce might of these incredulous people on the Capital if she were to enact brutal force.

Konngara cracks a wide smile, another sudden, but smaller influx of mist streaming to her. It brings with it her legs, adding onto her imposing height. Her hand would grip the hilt of her sword tightly, threatening the blade once more. 

“You barge into Hell and ask of me what my superior is concocting, using me as just a passage,” Konngara says, a bite in each of her words. “Let me strike you an offer, if you can remove this blade from my grip, I will bestow to you all you could desire, under one condition.” Konngara raises the dish in her hand raising her pointer finger from under it. “Do so honestly, I am far aware of the schemes you Lunarians are capable of.” Konngara strikes a combative stance, sword out of its sheath entirely. 

Sagume sighs to herself, upset with how circumstance has turned her to this point. She returns Konngara’s vigorous glare, contemplating how to handle this. No cheap tricks, but she could oh so easily flip this situation on its head yet… she doesn’t want to. This is a once in a millennium opportunity, to tango with the Moon’s resident oni, the _Astral Knight._

Sagume nods, aware that a spoken acceptance would bring upon complications with destiny. 

She prays she can return home with more answers than wounds.

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings!
> 
> I played a light game of "Randomize some characters and write about them" with the only caveat that they had to be entirely unrelated. I wound up with Sagume and Konngara which, frankly, ended up way more fun to think about than I once thought. I kinda made up and rearranged a buncha stuff but honestly, that's the joy of writing PC-98 characters. Helped that Konngara's title is Astral Knight and Kikuri's is "HellMoon."
> 
> I may just make this a light series going forward of random vignettes.


End file.
